Heat. Heat.
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Reaching for you.
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Come on.
Everybody.
Godl.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Praise be Jesus Christ. Praise be Jesus Christ. Welcome to this live streamed broadcast of Pope Leo the 14th's general audience coming to you from St. Peter's Square today, the 29th of April, from wherever it is that you are joining us. A very warm welcome to you. You may be tuning in through one of the various Vatican media channels, and that might be the Vatican News app, the Radio Vaticana app, the Vatican News website, or the Vatican News English YouTube channel, or the Vatican News Facebook live feed.
And a very warm welcome also goes to all of you who are joining us through our various partner stations. These are EWTN Television, Salt and Light Television, Shalom World Television, Atmadashian Television, Catholic Television, Catholic Faith Network in America, and radio partner stations: Radio Maria England, Luminous Radio India, and Radio Maria Papua New Guinea. And of course, you may be joining through other internet sites or radio stations that perhaps haven't been mentioned. Regardless of that, very warm welcome to you all. And last but not least, a very warm welcome goes to all of you who are joining through our dedicated American Sign Language broadcast, which has been made possible with the help of our friends at Deaf Catholic Youth Initiative for the Americas.
So, as you can hear from the crowds or see from the images if you're following from a screen, Pope Leo is making the rounds in his Popemobile. And this is the first general audience since his return from his apostolic journey, which, as I'm sure you know, took him to four African nations. He visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. And the crowds that have gathered to welcome him back are really quite large. There are lots of people filling up St. Peter's Square today. So, we just wait for him to finish his rounds and to finish greeting all the faithful that have come to say hello. And then we will listen to what he has to say.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Come on.
Since returning from his journey to the African continent, Pope Leo has also made another appearance, and that was during Sunday's Regina Caeli. And during that, he invited the faithful to trust the Lord, and he warned against letting ourselves be deceived by thieves who seek to destroy our joy by leading us astray.
On that occasion, the Pope invited the faithful to keep their eyes and hearts focused on the gifts that nourish faith and joy while remaining vigilant against anything that may undermine them. As always, he recalled the day's Gospel, and on that occasion that was Sunday the 26th. On Sunday the 26th, it was a reading from the Gospel of John in which Jesus compares himself to both the shepherd and the gate of the sheepfold, highlighting the contrast between the shepherd and the thief. So the Pope explained that Jesus distinguishes clearly between the two. The shepherd enters through the gate because of his bond with the sheep, while the one who climbs in another way reveals himself as a thief intent on harm. Christ, by contrast, comes so that all may have life in abundance.
The Pope is now making his way up the sort of central aisle leading up to the basilica. And there are lots of babies and toddlers being passed to him to be blessed. You can hear people shouting, 'We love you.'
It's wonderful to see all the different reactions of these babies who are too young to understand, but have a wonderful, wonderful blessing. No other way to put it, I suppose. Being blessed by the Pope. Here's another one. Very calm baby.
And he's still making his way up the central aisle. He's taking his time today, really making sure to greet everyone as much as he can. Unfortunately, it's not possible to greet everyone, but you can see he's really taking his time. And now he's making his way up. And there are some flag bearers lifting their flags up, making a sort of corridor of flags as the Pope drives up onto the podium just in front of St. Peter's Basilica.
So as always, the audience will follow the same structure in which we will receive the Pope's blessing, and then we will hear in various languages the Gospel reading of the day. And I will not provide a translation for that because we will also be hearing it read in English. And after that, we will hear the Pope's catechesis, which he will read in Italian, and then the various summaries and greetings in those same languages. I will provide a full translation of the Pope's words, and then we will also hear a summary read in English by the reader up on the stage.
The Holy Father now opens the audience with the sign of the cross. Let us prepare to receive his blessing.
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Amen.
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A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.' The Gospel of the Lord.
Matthew's Gospel.
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Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome. Today I would like to talk about the apostolic journey I made from the 13th to the 23rd of April, visiting four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. From the very beginning of my pontificate, I have thought about a journey in Africa. I thank the Lord for granting me the opportunity to undertake it as shepherd, to meet and encourage the people of God, and also to experience it as a message of peace at a time in history marked by wars and serious and frequent violations of international law.
And I express my heartfelt thanks to the bishops and civil authorities who welcomed me, and to all those who helped organize the visit.
Providence would have it that the first stop should be the very country where the sites of St. Augustine are found, namely Algeria. Thus, I found myself on the one hand revisiting the roots of my spiritual identity, and on the other crossing and strengthening bridges that are very important for the world and the Church today: the bridge with the very fruitful age of the Fathers of the Church, the bridge with the Islamic world, and the bridge with the African continent.
In Algeria, I received a welcome that was not only respectful but warm. And we were able to experience firsthand and show the world that it is possible to live together as brothers and sisters, even of different religions, when we recognize ourselves as children of the same merciful Father. Furthermore, it was a timely opportunity to learn from the example of St. Augustine through his life experience, his writings, and his spirituality. He is a master in the search for God and for truth. A testimony that is more important than ever today for Christians and for every person.
In the next three countries I visited, the population is instead predominantly Christian, and I therefore found myself immersed in an atmosphere of celebration of the faith and warm welcome, enhanced also by the characteristic traits of the African people. Like my predecessors, I too experienced something of what happened to Jesus with the crowds in Galilee. He saw them thirsting and hungry for justice and proclaimed to them, 'Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the peacemakers.' And recognizing their faith, said, 'You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.'
The visit to Cameroon allowed me to reinforce the call to work together for reconciliation and peace, for that country too is unfortunately marked by tensions and violence. I'm glad to have traveled to Bafoussam in the Anglophone region, where I encouraged people to work together for peace. Cameroon is known as 'Africa in miniature' in reference to the variety and richness of its natural environment and resources. But we can also interpret this expression to mean that the great needs of the entire continent are found in Cameroon: the need for a fair distribution of wealth, the need to provide space for the young, overcoming endemic poverty, the need to promote integral and sustainable development, countering the various forms of neocolonialism with farsighted international cooperation.
I thank the Church in Cameroon and all the Cameroonian people who welcomed me with such love. And I pray that the spirit of unity which was evident during my visit may be kept alive and guide future choices and actions.
The third phase of the trip was in Angola, a large country south of the equator with a centuries-long Christian tradition linked to Portuguese colonization. Like many African countries after achieving independence, Angola went through a troubled period, which in its case was marked by a long and bloody civil war. In the crucible of this history, God has guided and purified the Church, increasingly converting her in the service of the Gospel, human promotion, reconciliation, and peace. 'A free Church for a free people.' In the Marian sanctuary of Mama Mushima, which means 'Mother of the Heart,' I felt the beating heart of the Angolan people. And in the various meetings, I rejoiced to see so many men and women, religious, of every age, a prophecy of the kingdom of heaven in the midst of their people.
I saw catechists who dedicate themselves fully to the good of the community. I saw many elderly people weathered by toil and suffering yet radiant with the joy of the Gospel. I saw women and men dancing to the rhythm of songs of praise to the risen Lord, the foundation of a hope that withstands the disappointments caused by ideologies and the empty promises of the powerful.
This hope demands concrete commitment, and the Church has the responsibility, with the witness and courageous proclamation of the word of God, to recognize the rights of all and to promote their actual respect. With the Angolan civil authorities, but also with those of other countries, I was able to assure them of the Catholic Church's willingness to continue making this contribution, particularly in the fields of healthcare and education.
The last country I visited was Equatorial Guinea, 170 years after its first evangelization. With the wisdom of tradition and the light of Christ, the Guinean people have weathered the vicissitudes of their history, and in recent days, in the presence of the Pope, have renewed with great enthusiasm their determination to walk together towards a future of hope. I cannot forget what happened in the prison of Bata in Equatorial Guinea. The prisoners sang at the top of their voices a song of thanksgiving to God and to the Pope, asking him to pray for their sins and their freedom. I had never seen anything like it. And then they prayed the Our Father with me in the pouring rain. A genuine sign of the kingdom of God. And still in the rain, the great gathering with the young people began in the stadium of Bata, a celebration of Christian joy with moving testimonies from young people who have found in the Gospel the path to free and responsible growth. This celebration culminated in the Eucharistic celebration the following day, which worthily crowned the visit to Equatorial Guinea as well as the entire apostolic journey.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Pope's visit is for the African peoples a chance to make their voices heard, to express the joy of being God's people and the hope for a better future, of dignity for each and everyone. I'm happy to have given them this opportunity, and at the same time I thank the Lord for what they have given me. An inestimable treasure for my heart and ministry.
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I cordially greet the French-speaking pilgrims who have come from Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, in particular the parish group from Versailles and the students from various schools. May these apostolic journeys in Africa teach us to live and to share the joy of faith rooted in a steadfast hope despite the trials of life. I bless you and wish you a very beautiful month of Mary.
particular group.
Most Holy Father, the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors wish to express to you their sentiments of deep respect and esteem and to assure you of their prayers for your ministry as the successor of Peter. At the end of the audience, we will sing together the Our Father in Latin. His Holiness will then impart his apostolic blessing, which he extends in a particular way to the members of your families at home. He also intends to bless any religious articles you may have brought for this purpose. And in a special way, his blessing goes to your children, the elderly, and those who are sick.
Dear brothers and sisters, today I'd like to speak about my recent apostolic journey to four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. I had desired to embark on this journey since the beginning of my pontificate, and I now express my heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for granting me the occasion to meet with the people of God in Africa and confirm them in their faith as a successor of St. Peter. My time there was meant to offer the world a message of peace at a moment marked by conflicts and frequent violations of international law. Along with the call for peace, I also denounced the grave injustices that exist in those countries that are so rich in natural resources, urging the international community to overcome neocolonial attitudes and engage in authentic collaboration. At the same time, the apostolic journey gave people in Africa a chance to make their voices heard and to express the joy of being God's people. In this regard, I thank the Lord for what they have given me, an immeasurable gift of faith, hope, and charity which has greatly enriched my life and ministry.
I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today's audience, particularly the groups from Ireland, Malta, Norway, Nigeria, India, the Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States of America. I invoke the joy and peace of the risen Jesus upon all of you and upon your families. May God bless you.
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Dear brothers and sisters of the German-speaking community, the apostolic journey to Africa was for me a welcome opportunity to retrace once more the footsteps of St. Augustine. May the example of this great doctor of the Church help us to seek God, who in Jesus Christ gives us all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and true peace.
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Minister,
I cordially greet the Spanish-speaking pilgrims. Let us ask the Lord to touch the hearts and minds of all so that his Gospel may be embodied in our lives. With sorrow and concern, I have learned of the tragic situation of violence affecting the southwest region of Colombia, which has caused serious loss of human life. I express my closeness in prayer to the victims and their families, and I urge everyone to reject all forms of violence and to choose decisively the path of peace. May the Lord bless you. Thank you very much.
